The battle itself proceeds completely without human interaction, with the outcome being determined entirely based on the initial configuration, rather than on player reflexes or mid-battle decisions. Once players have selected their ships and issued orders to the ships concerning how to engage the enemy fleet, the battle begins. Players must take this information into account when selecting and positioning the ships that form their own fleet. For example, a given environment may reduce the effectiveness of ship shields, or may reduce weapon ranges. For each skirmish or engagement, the player has a fixed budget and a maximum number of ships (pilots), as well as various other limitations or rules which influence the outcome of the battle. Gratuitous Space Battles challenges players with defeating opposing space fleets through careful pre-battle planning. Gameplay Battle showing enemy ships to the right Missions are not linked with any particular narrative, nor are there any briefings, debriefings, or scripted sequences: the battles are purely gratuitous. The player is presented with a number of skirmish scenarios in various space locations. Most reviews praised the detailed graphics with some finding the gameplay a little confusing, at least initially.Īs the title suggests, there is no plot per se the battles are entirely gratuitous. Gratuitous Space Battles generally received favourable reviews upon release.

Ī custom made game engine was produced for the 2D game. While sometimes assumed to be a real-time strategy (RTS) game based on screenshots, actual gameplay focuses on the setup prior to the battle, making it play more like a tower defense game. On one level the title is a space warfare simulation consisting of a number of engagements between two opposing fleets of ships. Gratuitous Space Battles is a video game developed by the UK-based company Positech Games.

Gratuitous tank battles wiki